CYPRUS: Film festival celebrating British cinema

10 January, 2019

Amy Winehouse, Alfred Hitchcock and Winston Churchill are coming to Nicosia’s Cine Studio screen on 11, 12 and 13 January for the British Film Days 2019.

The British High Commission in Nicosia, British Council Cyprus and the Friends of Cinema Society are co-organising this 3-day festival bringing to the island some of the best of British contemporary cinema, focusing on three British icons from different fields: music, cinema and politics.

The film festival provides an opportunity to showcase some great British cinema to audiences in Cyprus and highlight the UK’s creative and innovative knowledge economy, which excels in producing great films. The UK-produced films -more than 200 per year- account for around 20% of the global box office.

The British Film Days will feature three decorated, fairly recent films with broad appeal, which also tell compelling stories about three British icons who had a major impact around the world, far beyond the shores of the United Kingdom.

·“Amy” (2015): a documentary on the life of late jazz/soul singer Amy Winehouse from Asif Kapadia which won, among others, an Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary, Best Documentary at the BAFTAs, Best Music Film at the Grammys. Screening on 11 January at 21:00

·“Hitchcock” (2012): Sir Anthony Hopkins and Dame Helen Mirren star as Alfred Hitchcock and Alma Reville in a film which presents their relationship in 1959, when the great British director was filming “Psycho”. Screening on 12 January at 20:00

·“Darkest Hour” (2017): British Prime Minister Winston Churchill needs to decide whether the UK will go to war or negotiate with Adolf Hitler. Gary Oldman’s performance as Churchill won him Academy, Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG Awards for Best Actor. Screening on 13 January at 20:00

Admission to all screenings is free.

The British Film Days form part of a series of cultural activities the British High Commission and British Council are planning in 2019 to promote the creativity and innovative knowledge economy of the UK in Cyprus; as well as the shared values, history and close people to people links the UK and Cyprus enjoy.